Breaking the Habit
by lightblue-Nymphadora
Summary: After Draco's father is imprisoned, the trio notices that he is more subdued. When he and Hermione are pared up on a Potions project, she finds out why...
1. Breaking the Habit

**Breaking the Habit** (D/H)

It was a just another day. A Tuesday, to be exact. Hermione Granger walked out of her dorm to meet Harry and Ron in the Great Hall. She had breakfast and went to her classes (History of Magic, Herbology, and Transfiguration). She ate lunch and went to Charms and Potions. It was in that final class that this Tuesday took a turn for the extremely bizarre.

"Miss Granger," Snape drawled, "If you can bear to be parted from the Gryffindor hero and his sidekick, please move up to this front desk with Mr. Malfoy."

"Yes professor," Hermione said as politely as she could after the dig at her friends.

Snape gave instructions to the rest of the class about how they were to pair up and attempt (because he highly doubted that they would get it right) a Fainting Solution.

"Should you correctly concoct the first three ingredients, the fumes will be kept hovering directly above your cauldron. You may begin," he said. He turned back to Draco and Hermione, "We'll see how your friends do without the two of you hissing instructions at them…"

So, thought Hermione, this was just another way to make Harry look bad. Well, at least Crabbe and Goyle would suffer too.

"Granger," Malfoy said, "I know you don't like me. I certainly don't like you. So let's just finish this potion, get our A, and get out of here. Sound good?"

"Sure," Hermione said, slightly taken aback. Malfoy's words, harsh to anyone else, were positively pleasant to Hermione.

"Would you cut up the billywig wings?" he asked, "I'll measure the unicorn horn."

"Good idea," she said. He looked at her quizzically, as if trying to figure out whether or not she was taking the mickey. Finally, he looked back to what he was doing.

Though she hated to admit it, she was enjoying working with Malfoy. Sure, he only talked when he needed something; and he constantly called her "Granger", but it was good having a competent Potions partner for once. She loved both Ron and Harry, but having to constantly whisper instructions and correct things could get a little wearing.

The class wore on. It seemed that they might make it through their block of double Potions without incident, but then…

"Arrghhhh!"

Oh no, Hermione thought, Neville's melted his cauldron again.

Without the protective ingredients kept in a small space, the fumes and liquid were quickly spreading; and Gryffindors were dropping like flies…

"Outside! Outside, everyone!" Snape yelled angrily.

There was a mad scramble for the back door. Draco and Hermione took their time, seeing as running to the door would only get them stuck close to the fumes. Finally, everyone made it outside. Snape got rid of the potion spill and revived those unlucky enough to get the worst of it.

"You will work with your partners on a paper," he said when they had filled back into their seats, "The correct way to brew this potion. Five feet, to be handed in next Friday. Class dismissed."

The students exited the dungeon and Hermione caught up with Ron and Harry.

"Bad luck Hermione, stuck working with Malfoy," Harry said sympathetically.

"It wasn't bad," she said walking up the stairs.

"Wasn't bad?" Ron asked incredulously, "Hermione, this is Malfoy we're talking about—"

"I know that, Ron," she told him," but he was alright, honestly."

"You think he's confunded her without anyone noticing?" Ron asked Harry.

"Might have," Harry said, looking concerned.

"You two! No one's confunded me, ok?" Hermione said, exasperated.

"Weasley, could I talk to Granger for a moment?" said a voice from behind them.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked.

Draco rolled his eyes at the two boys' protectiveness.

"She's my Potions partner Potter," he said evenly, "We need to set a time to study."

"Is tomorrow night ok?" Hermione asked him.

"'s fine. See you in the library at seven. Don't be late Granger," he said, walking away.

"What," Ron said after Malfoy walked away, "was that? Did he get a personality transplant?"


	2. Don't Know What's Worth Fighting For

_I don't know what's worth fighting for, or why I have to scream…_

Wednesday rolled by quickly. If Hermione had mentioned this to either of the boys, they would have told her that it was because she didn't want to see Malfoy that night. This was the reason she didn't mention it to them; because they would not have believed her when she told them that she was not, in fact, dreading the meeting.

_He'll probably go back to his usual self now that a teacher's not around,_ she thought.

It was two till seven when she found him reading quietly at a corner table in the library.

"Granger," he said, nodding at her.

"Hi Malfoy," she replied.

"You don't have to call me that," he said, looking up from his book, "I like Draco better."

"Ok…" Hermione said, completely confused.

"Don't look so shocked," he smiled.

He smiled? What the hell was going on?

She sat down across from him and opened her book.

"I think Snape is going to want preparation, uses, remedies…that sort of thing," Malfoy said, "Would you start on the first part while I research the uses?"

"Sure," Hermione said.

They worked in silence for an hour, when they had to go back to their dormitories.

"Shall we meet again tomorrow?" Draco asked.

"Malfoy, Draco, what's with you this year?" Hermione asked, unable to contain herself any longer, "No name calling, I can call you Draco, you're more or less ignoring Ron and Harry. What's changed?"

Draco smiled and ran a hair through his hair.

"Look," he said, "I've really got nothing against you. Potter and Weasley piss me off to no end, so you've been ammo to annoy them mostly. But there's other stuff on my mind this year than a school boy rivalry…"

With that, he walked away.

Hermione walked in a daze back to the common room to meet Harry and Ron. They both looked up when she entered.

"How'd it go?" Harry asked.

"It was fine. We just worked on the project is all," Hermione answered him.

Ron wasn't convinced.

"Fine? He didn't call you names or anything?"

"No. Not at all. Look, I'm pretty tired, I'll see you in the morning, ok?"

**BtH**

The boys woke up early the next morning and went to breakfast before Hermione. They hung outside the dungeons waiting. Finally, they saw the blonde haired boy they were looking for. Pulling him by the robes, they led him into a corridor hidden behind a tapestry.

"What the bloody hell?" Draco yelped.

"Shut up," Harry said, taking out his wand.

"Listen Potter, I know everyone around here loves you, but you still can't get away with assaulting another student," Draco sneered.

"Shut up," Ron repeated, "we want to talk about Hermione."

"Yeah, if you do anything to upset or hurt her, you'll beat my record for number of days in the hospital wing," Harry told him.

"As I've already told her," Draco said calmly, "there is no need for unpleasantness. I've got nothing against Hermione. We are going to work, get top marks, and that will do it."

He pushed both of them aside.

"If you two are so worried about her, you could come with her to our study sessions. I'm sure you both need serious help with the paper anyway," he smirked.

They watched him walk into the Great Hall for breakfast. They both waited in the entrance hall for Hermione.

"There you are!" she said when she arrived, "Why are you both down here so early?"

"We were having a very strange talk with Malfoy," Ron said.

"Oh no," Hermione said, "You two didn't hurt him, did you?"

"Hark who's talking!" Harry said, "You hit him square in the face in our third year."

"Yes, but he _deserved_ it then! He hasn't done anything this time."

"We didn't do anything to him. He's gone a bit funny," Ron said, "He was almost nice to us."

"Yes, he was like that with me, too," Hermione told them as they sat down to eat.

"What's gotten into him, do you think?" Harry asked.

"I've been thinking about that, actually," Hermione said quietly, "You know, he's had this summer away from his dad. I think he's starting to think for himself, without his dad constantly shoving this pure blood garbage down his throat."

"He was pissed at me for landing Lucius in jail, though," Harry countered.

"Yeah, well, he obviously loves his dad," Hermione replied, "That doesn't mean he has to agree with his views on the world though."

"Ok," Ron said, "so explain why his favorite name for you, until now, has been 'mudblood'."

"Ron, you really should look in the mirror when you're mad. It's almost comical. He did that to get to you two," she told him, "He doesn't do it anymore."

"Well, don't go trusting him just yet," Harry said, "I still think he's up to something…"


	3. I Don't Know Why I Instigate

_I don't know why I instigate, and say what I don't mean…_

Draco lay on the tile of the Prefect's bathroom floor. When it got cold enough, he'd jump into the water. A strange relaxation technique, yes, but he liked it, and that was all that mattered to him now.

Finally, the cold began to get to him. Funny, he reflected, it usually took a lot longer to sink in. He got up from the floor and slid into the warm lavender bubbles. His mind drifted back to that evening and he laughed. He hadn't thought anything of his invitation to Potter and Weasley until they actually showed up. But show up they did. He'd have to think of some way to make it up to Gran- Hermione. She'd returned the favor of a first name basis, but it was taking some getting use to. He was happy that he hadn't actually been mean to her. Most of what he had said, well, actually all of what he had said had been out and out lies. More of the trash he had learned from Lucius, but nothing horrible. He'd think of something to make it right.

The thought of his father sent his mind into a whole other level of worry. He had gone over the plan a million and one times in his head. Now, he was simply waiting for the inevitable breakout from Azkaban. But what was he worrying about that for? By that time, he'd be ready. He'd have help.

**BtH**

The next day at breakfast, Hermione was laughing at Harry and Ron's argument over which was better, mashed or baked potatoes. Overhead, they heard the rustle of wings. Sixth years though they were, they still loved looking up and watching the mail owls deliver. To her surprise, one of the owls dropped a note and a rose in front of her. She knew immediately who they were from, because only Draco would keep green satin ribbon in supply to tie his letters with…

It read thus:

Hermione,

Sorry about yesterday. You know I didn't mean any of that 'pure blood' nonsense, right? Well I didn't. If you want me to stop using you as ammunition against Potter and Weasley, just say so. Could we meet again tonight? Without those two, because, honestly, the temptation to make Weasley go eight shades of insane is just too strong. Library again? I hope you like the rose. Have a good day,

Draco

Hermione looked up and caught Draco's eye. She nodded slightly and looked back at Harry and Ron. It might have been her silence, or they too might have recognized the green bow. Whatever the reason, Ron and Harry both started to glare.

"Is that from Malfoy?" Ron asked.

"Yes, he wants to work again."

"Don't go Hermione," Harry told her.

"He's only like that when you guys are around. And he's just apologized and offered to stop if it's bothering me. See?" she showed them the letter.

"I still don't think you should go," Harry mumbled.

"He's right, Hermione," Ron said, "He's up to something, I know it."

Having had enough, Hermione grabbed her book bag, the note, and the rose, and without another word, left the table. She spent the rest of the day in such silence. It wasn't that she was mad at them, really; just that she didn't want to argue about meeting Malfoy that night. She was going, and they weren't going to talk her out of it, no matter how hard they tried.

* * *

She set off to the library that night thinking about these past few days. It was weird, really, the way she was getting to know Draco in these short periods of studying. Even weirder, if it was possible, was how much they were alike. He too had almost been placed in Ravenclaw, but, as she had begged for Gryffindor, he had begged for Slytherin. His favorite color was blue. She knew this because their test potion had gone wrong and turned royal blue. Looking on the bright side of things, Draco had said, "At least it looks good!"

In no time, she was in the library. She spotted Draco at their usual table and walked over.

"Hi Draco," she smiled.

"Hey Hermione," he said,"…you know I meant what I said in that note this morning, right?"

"I know."

"Good," he smiled again.

They worked in silence for about an hour. Hermione noticed that Draco kept glancing up from his work at her. Finally he spoke,

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"You remember the first time we studied together? And you asked me what had gotten into me this year?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, a little warily.

"I have something to tell you…"


	4. I Don't Know How I Got This Way

**Note from LbN: Ok, so I got through my homework quicker than I thought. Here you go! Also, for the purpose of this story, wizards' eleventh birthdays are like Muggle sweet sixteens. That's the party Hermione refers to...**

_I don't know how I got this way; I know it's not alright..._

"…so that's that," Draco said, casting a worried look in Hermione's direction. He was hoping she wouldn't be too mad at him for not telling her; but he had known that she wouldn't have believed him at first.

"That's that?!? That's that! That, Draco, is the single most amazing thing I've ever heard; and I'm best friends with the Boy Who Won't Bloody Kick the Bucket. Let's make sure I have this straight. At the age of nine, you did something that, in the eyes of any sane parent, would be relatively minor. But not your father. He gets in his head that you're not coming up correctly for future service to You-Know-Who, which I'm sure means blind obedience, and puts a Velleity Charm on you. So his will is thrust upon you, but you still, more or less, have the power of free will in most things. Am I following you so far?"

"Yes," Draco smiled.

"So then, at the age of eleven, you refuse to wear your family's traditional Slytherin robes to your coming out party because you wanted to wear blue dress robes. So your father lifts Velleity and casts Ambitus, which removes the ability to choose anything for yourself if he doesn't want you to. Still good?"

"Yes," Draco said, amused at the admiration in Hermione's voice.

"So, you've been voicing you father's views on life and carrying out his commands for the past six _**bloody **_years. This summer, after your father's been locked up for a while, you get pissed at the whole situation and decide to burn his Slytherin Prefect robes. Or try to at least, because you highly doubt that he'll let you."

She paused here and grinned at Draco. Shaking her head and running her hands through her hair once, she continued,

"So you _light his robes on fire_," she recounts, laughing, "and in your surprise that you weren't in physical agony with him trying to stop you, you almost burn down Malfoy Manor."

"Thank God for house elves…" he interjected.

"Really. So, the first thing you do, after helping them extinguish your little bonfire, is write to Dumbledore. He offers you a place to stay at Hogwarts so that You-Know-Who doesn't kill you to punish your father. Staying here over the summer, Dumbledore teaches you how to use Occlumency to more or less throw off the curse. Or at least keep it in check so you have time to fight it. You can also make it look like nothing is wrong, right?" he nodded, "So now, in the inevitable showdown you have with Lucius, you actually have a chance at winning."

"That pretty much sums it up," Draco grinned.

"Pretty much?"

"Well," he said, glancing around, "There are a couple other things. It's something I need your help with. You see, even though I can exert my will through the curse, I still have my father's will to contend with in each… situation. I need to know how to lift it completely. Dumbledore is looking too. And we're running out of time. Dumbledore thinks Voldemort is planning an attack on the school. If he is, my dad'll be out by then. Voldemort won't care too much about me; I'm just some stupid kid who rebelled. My dad is another story. I'm dead if I can't figure this out by then."

"Can I tell Harry and Ron? I'll make sure they don't tell anyone else."

"Ok…"

"Don't worry, we'll figure this out."

It was with this promise that Hermione made her way back to the Gryffindor common room; every Dark curse book in the library in tow. When she got there, Harry and Ron were waiting. They both looked up when she entered.

"You two were right," Hermione smiled at them, "Malfoy _is_ up to something…"

**LbN: Hope you guys liked it! This chapter's for the reviewers that were glaring at me for the cliff hanger. cough LilyFlower121 cough :D.**


	5. So I'm Breaking the Habit

**Note from LbN: Hey y'all! Sorry this chapter took so long. I was swamped with homework for a while...**

_So I'm breaking the habit…_

"Bloody hell…"

"Weasley..."

"Bloody freaking—"

"Weasley, I'm warning you…"

"What, Malfoy?" Ron asked, glaring at Draco, "I'm tired, I'm hungry, and you expect me to sit here and look at a bunch of symbols that can't keep still?"

"It's Dark Magic Weasley. It's not supposed to be an easy read, you moron!"

"Ponce."

"Ass."

"Snob."

"Peasant."

It was around this time that Hermione's patience ran out. The boys panicked as their mouths disappeared. Harry voiced their shock for them, however.

"Hermione!"

"Shut up, Harry," she said calmly, "Draco, I understand that Ron is baiting you," Ron glared at her, "but I at least am trying to help you. I need you to be the bigger person and ignore him."

Ron was visibly fighting very hard to say something…

"Ronald," Hermione continued, "if you don't want to help, take Harry's cloak and grab us all something from the kitchens, will you? Because we're all hungry and tired."

With that, she lifted the spell and both boys got their mouths back. Draco cast one last sneer at Ron before looking back to the book's moving runes. Ron looked like he wanted to say something, but Harry offered to go get food with him, so they disappeared out of the portrait hole. As soon as they were gone, Hermione turned to Draco,

"Honestly, Draco. Do you have to be so mean to them?"

"They're mean to me too!" Draco said indignantly.

"I know, I've asked them the same thing. I know you're not this mean…"

"Sure I am," he said smiling at her, "Look, it's Weasley and Potter. We wouldn't get along even if I hadn't been battling a lifetime of my father's brainwashing. You even agreed that they're mean, right?"

"Right…"  
"Well, it's the same thing with me."

"Yeah, but the whole peasant thing? That's just more of Lucius's—"

"No, Lucius is on a pure blood thing. My mother, who loves me dearly, is the source of my spoiled brat syndrome. I'm spoiled, I know it; I'm owning it. It's an easy shot at Weasley when I'm not feeling creative; like now when I'm trying to save my behind."

Hermione shook her head and mumbled something about petty boys needing a good shag to mellow them out…

It was some time before Harry and Ron returned. By that time, Draco had gone back to the Slytherin common room. They dug into the cakes and tea that the house elves had given to the boys.

"We need to get to bed," Hermione said, "Dumbledore sent Hedwig a little bit ago. He wants to see us tomorrow morning after breakfast."

**BtH**

Saturday dawned a cloudy gray. Hermione felt her nerves growing with every step she took toward the Great Hall. Taking her seat and looking over to the Slytherin table, her suspicions were confirmed. Draco was playing with his food, looking quite ill indeed. So unless he had eaten too fast prior to the Gryffindors getting to breakfast, he was nervous about something as well. Hermione was willing to bet that they would be meeting him in front of a stone gargoyle in a little while. She was snapped out of her musings by Ron.

"Look at Malfoy over there holding court," he said with contempt.

"He's not even talking to anyone, Ron," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, "You do want to help him, right?"

"Course we do," Harry said, "Once this spell's lifted, he might not be such a prat."

Thinking back to her conversation with Malfoy the night before, Hermione smiled.

**BtH**

Sure enough, when they reached Dumbledore's office, Malfoy was already there. There were chairs for the three of them and Dumbledore sat at his desk, looking grave.

"Ah, good," he said when they entered, "I'm glad the three of you are here. And that you have decided, for the time being, to set aside your differences to help Mr. Malfoy."

The three boys had the good grace to look ashamed of themselves.

"I understand that you and Ms. Granger found a way to temporarily lift the spell?"

"Yes sir," Draco answered as Hermione pulled a book out of her bag, "It's actually quite easy…in theory," he added, "All I have to do is cast Ambitus back on him. But it has to be a will as strong as his."

"Do you think you have something?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yeah," Draco mumbled, blushing a little.

"Then it is time to tell you my plan. You, of course, are aware of the fact that your friends Crabbe and Goyle having taken the brand of the Death Eaters?" Draco nodded, "They have been, for the past three months, planning on how to give Death Eaters access to Hogwarts. I have found out that there will be a break in. How, I do not know, but it will be soon. Voldemort does not wish to stroll into Hogwarts himself, for which I am very grateful. This means that all we have to deal with is Lucius. I have a spell that will lift the curse, but you have to be fighting it strongly to begin with. Actively fighting it, Draco," Dumbledore said.

"You mean I have to let him cast it?" Draco said, looking frightened, "What if I can't fight with him doing it?"

"As soon as he starts to cast, you will need to cast. That way, you'll be under the curse but able to fight it. Understand?"

"Yes sir," Draco said, looking, if possible, even sicker than before.

"Now, I believe all of you have been practicing Occlumeny and Legilemency?"

They all nodded at him.

"Good. As you probably know from your research, Ambitus grows and wanes in strength as the spell is held. Ms. Granger, I will need you to keep hidden and use Legilemency to monitor the strength of Draco's spell. When it is strongest, you will need to cast a protective charm and lift the curse. Here is the spell," he passed an ancient book to her, "Mr. Weasley will be hidden with you, as an extra precaution. You will need to keep to the side of Ms. Granger at all times, understood?"

"Yes, sir," Ron said.

"Sir," Harry said, "What about me?"

"I need you to stay in Gryffindor tower, Harry. You have to stay safe. Do you all understand?"

They all voiced their understanding and were dismissed…

**LbN: Hope y'all liked the chapter. And oh yes, we're heading toward a battle...:)**


	6. I'm Breaking the Habit

_I'm breaking the habit…_

The next week came and went. Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup, as usual, and Ron was disgusting about it, as usual. But they were all feeling the tension. Draco hadn't slept properly since Dumbledore's talk; and Harry, in a Gryffindor-esque display of maturity, staged loudly in the Great Hall that Malfoy hadn't been feeling well and it wasn't exactly a fair win. When she heard this, Hermione looked over at the Slytherin and saw him shoveling food in his mouth to hide his embarrassed grin. While he and Ron still wished each other nothing but ill, he and Harry were almost, _almost_, at a stage of friendly civility, but he still had to keep up appearances.

The next week made that a lot easier. On Tuesday, they had all, separately, gotten a message from Dumbledore that the break in would happen that Thursday. Nervous and irritable, Draco, Harry, and Ron had all been at each others necks that week. Each episode was brief however, since Hermione's patience was also a little thin, and the boys were finding themselves without mouths for longer periods each time a fight broke out.

**BtH**

Had anyone been dumb enough to voice their feelings, Harry would have told them that this was what his fourth year had been like; with time on fast forward. But no one _was_ dumb enough to vocalize their fear. They were all taking strength from each other's silence. They all knew that it was an act, that every one of them was scared shitless as Thursday morning dawned clear and blue. However, the fact that no one felt the need to break down was a source of inspiration to them, and they held their act together.

The closest anyone came was Hermione, but even hers was tapered concern. She had gone over the plan again with Draco Wednesday evening…

_Flashback_

_"How do you know he won't just come in and kill you?" Hermione asked fearfully._

_"He won't. He's not clever like Voldemort; he doesn't recognize when he needs to kill someone straight away. He's too arrogant to know that he can't torture everyone," Draco answered._

_"Torture?!?"_

_"Hey, listen," Draco said gently, "I'm use to it now. Whatever he does, you can't interfere until we cast Ambitus."_

_"…Ok…"_

_"Promise? The whole plan depends on you two staying hidden. We can't all just start dueling."_

_"Promise."_

_End Flashback_

None of them spoke very much that day. Only when it was absolutely necessary, like in Herbology, did they ask each other questions and give brief answers. As she, Ron, and Harry made their way through Hogwarts to dinner, Hermione felt a huge wave of sadness for Draco. At least, she thought, I have Harry and Ron to get me through this. His two mates turned to Voldemort's side.

After dinner, the three of them walked back to Gryffindor Tower in silence. Harry wished them good luck, threw on his Invisibility cloak, and sat on the end of Seamus's bed. Hermione still thought it a bit of a giveaway that Harry would be in his own dormitory, but they couldn't find a good place for him to stand or sit in the common room without the fear of someone bumping into him. Hermione and Ron saw only his face as they left the dormitory.

Casting a Disillusionment Charm on herself and Ron, Hermione and he walked down to the Slytherin common room. They rounded the corner and saw Draco kneeling next to the suit of armor, tying his shoe. Hermione nudged him with her toe and he stood.

"Machiavelli," he said, and the wall slid open.

She couldn't see it, but Hermione swore she could feel Ron rolling his eyes.

They walked through the common room into Draco's private room. He was internally thanking God that he had been made Prefect the year before. Without a word, Draco nodded to his closet and sat down on his bed. Hermione and Ron hid themselves and pulled out their wands. Now, all that was left was to wait…

And wait they did. Draco had been coming up with clever ways of keeping the hidden two aware of the time. Around nine o'clock he said aloud,

"_Nine_ more pages left…"

Then it was, "_Ten_ sickles for that?!?"

And then, "Urgh, still have _eleven_ inches to write for Binns."

It had been a while now, and Hermione was waiting for the next announcement of time when the door opened.

"Hello Draco," Lucius said, entering the room.

"Father," Draco nodded at him, jumping off his bed.

"Why so alarmed, son?" Lucius asked

"You surprised me, is all," Draco lied quickly, "It's midnight, and if a student needed me, they would have knocked."

"Oh, I see," Lucius smiled, pulling up a chair.

_Right_, Hermione thought, _next he's going to whip out the tea and biscuits. Who does he think he's fooling?_

"You see, I thought it might have been something else," Lucius said.

"What?" Draco made a good attempt at looking confused.

"Well upon my return home from…my short leave of absence, I found a jar full of ashes on my dresser. With a note that said, quote, Salazar Slytherin can sod the fuck off, end quote. My Slytherin robes were nowhere to be found…"

It took every inch of self control Hermione had not to bust out laughing.

"Oh," Draco said, "Well, I was…a bit distraught at your capture…"

"And thought to take it out on me and the founder of your house?" Lucius asked dangerously.

"My founder is Rowena Ravenclaw," Draco said without thinking.

"Ah, my son," Lucius laughed, "You're still the same. Here I was thinking you'd know how to behave in my absence. But I see that you're still as disobedient as ever."

They locked eyes for about two seconds and then cried as one,

"_**Ambitio!**_"

Hermione silently cast Legimens on Draco and followed the spell. She almost fell over in shock at what he was willing his father to do, but kept her concentration as only Hermione can…

The two spells were locked onto their targets; Lucius's, a violent neon green, and Draco's, a calm glowing blue. Hermione felt the moment when Draco's spell was strongest, and cast a shield charm. Quickly, she whispered the Rectus Spell,

"_Rectifien-restaurare totus ambitius_…"

As soon as she spoke those words, Lucius's spell was repelled from Draco. They both stood in shock for a moment, and then Lucius began to laugh. It was a hollow chuckle that made Hermione's skin crawl.

"So," Lucius gasped, "where is she? The one you're so enamored with?" Each word he said was dripping with disgust. "I know she took that spell off of you, because someone else has to do it."

Ron raised his wand and silently re-cast the Disillusionment charms on them.

"Tell me now Draco!" Lucius yelled, "I want to see the filthy mudblood that turned you against your family. That turned you into a blood traitor! Is it the know-it-all? The one you've used as an excuse for your poor marks all this time? Is it a half-breed? Another filthy creature Dumbledore let into Hogwarts?"

Lucius was beside himself now, attacking the shield between himself and Draco. At that moment Hermione and Ron yelled,

"_Stupefy!_"

Lucius toppled to the ground and Hermione and Ron burst from the closet. Hermione ran and hugged Draco.

"You were wonderful!" she beamed, and watched as he turned absolutely pink.

"Hate to break up this little love fest," Ron said, as he tied Lucius up, "But we have to get back up to Gryffindor."

**BtH**

In an amazing display of foresight, Ron had borrowed Harry's map of Hogwarts before their little adventure. Though they could hear the battle, the three of them avoided it and made it back up to the tower.

As they approached, they saw Tonks and another Order member who they didn't know, standing guard. Hermione rapped Ron on the head with her wand to lift the charm.

"Wotcher, you three," Tonks said, letting them into the portrait hole.

They climbed the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

"Harry?" Hermione asked.

There was no answer. They walked over to Seamus's bed, but Harry wasn't there.

"I know Potter wasn't daft enough to go fight," Draco said.

"Yes he was," Ron answered.

"And he took the DA with him," Hermione said.

At that moment, a loud bang sounded from beneath them.

"We need to Disillusion ourselves," Hermione said urgently, taking out her wand, "The charm's worn off and if they get in, they'll come here first looking for Harry."

"Right you are," said a voice from behind them.

Hermione turned and was disarmed. Ron couldn't get to his wand as it was on his nightstand, but it really didn't matter, because they were all staring into the face of Bellatrix Lestrange…

**Note from LbN: Yeah, I know. Ron remembers Harry's map, but puts his wand down...Silly boy...**


	7. Breaking the Habit Tonight

_I'm breaking the habit tonight…_

She knew this wasn't the time for it, but Hermione was mentally berating herself as she sat, tied up against Ron. All of their planning, and they hadn't left any room for the fact that they might meet up with other Death Eaters.

"I knew your father was mistaken, Draco," Bellatrix said, "He's been going on for days about how he hoped you hadn't disgraced him. And here you are, trying to find Potter for your master!"

"Yes, Aunt," Draco said, "Only he's not here. He was supposed to be hiding here."

"Draco, you two faced bastard!" Ron yelled, "You wait till I get my hands on you!"

"Shut up, Ron," Hermione said sharply. She wasn't in the mood…

"Yes, Weasley, please do close your mouth," Draco rolled his eyes.

"Now," Bellatrix said, "Where's Potter? He's all we want, you know. No one need get hurt if you hand him over."

"Yeah, right," Ron said, "Because I'm sure you'll let us skip off home after this…"

"Ron shut up!" Hermione said, "And we don't know where Harry is," she told Bellatrix.

"Aunt?" Draco said, "I'll go stand watch, shall I?"

"Yes Draco. Make sure none of the Order decides to come up here."

He left, waving his wand over the door.

_What was that about?_ Hermione wondered.

"I'm going to ask you once more," Bellatrix snarled, "Where is Potter?"

"We told you! We don't know!" Hermione said.

"Fine," Bellatrix said, untying them.

Hermione and Ron looked at each other in shock. But no sooner had they stood up, than Ron was tied up again. He struggled against his ropes for a moment, and then fell to the ground.

The next thing Hermione registered was considerable pain. She stayed trapped in the pain for what had to be hours. She wasn't sure if she had been set on fire, or if she was being held under ice water. Either way, she was sure she was dying. Unfortunately, her last view of the world was going to be the psycho bitch that was currently torturing her. Bellatrix's countenance seemed to radiate menace throughout the room. A dark shadow seemed to be filling the room. She heard a bang, and thought her bones were breaking. That would explain why the shadows were starting to swim…

Wait a second…

The pain had vanished. Hermione felt someone helping her to her feet. She collected herself enough to realize that the "shadows" were really Order members. Disillusioned, of course. After Draco, Tonks, Kingsley, Moody, and Harry had lifted the charms on themselves, Hermione noticed that Moody seemed to be struggling to hold onto something. That something was putting up one _hell_ of a fight…

"Calm down, boy, and hold still," Moody grunted, hitting the person over the head with his wand. It was Neville…

"Let me go!" he yelped.

"You've stunned her! That's enough," Kingsley said.

"The hell it is," Harry, Ron, Tonks, and Hermione said in unison.

"Not helping you four!" Moody barked, "You don't want to sink to her level, do you son?" Moody said, keeping a good hold of the sobbing boy who wasn't fighting too hard anymore.

"Yes, I bloody well do!" Neville cried, "And let go of me…"

Moody unfolded his arms from around Neville, but kept one gnarled hand on his shoulder.

"I know son, I know…"

**BtH**

The next day, part of the Order of the Phoenix, Harry, Neville, Hermione, Ron, and Draco were all congregating in Dumbledore's office, recounting their nights…

"I snuck out after you guys," Harry explained, "Sorry Professor, but I couldn't just stay up there and listen to you all fighting! I wouldn't have been able to take it, not knowing what was going on…"

"No Harry, I suppose you couldn't," Dumbledore said with a small smile.

"What's happened to Lucius?" Draco asked.

"Azkaban has happened to him, along with your dear aunt. Of course, they will get out soon, what with the Dementors having deserted the prison. But we don't have to worry about that now," Dumbledore smiled at the Slytherin, "What matters is that that awful curse has been lifted."

The students in the room beamed.

"Tell me," the Headmaster said, "what did you do after Bellatrix found you?"

"She thought I was up there trying to find Pott- Harry," Draco said, "I played along so I could run find help."

"What did you cast on the door before you left?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Just disguised it in case Bellatrix turned around and saw us coming. She wouldn't have been able to see through the door with that spell on it." Draco said.

"As a matter of interest," Dumbledore asked him, "what exactly did you will your father to do? It had to be extremely out of character for him, or else it would not have worked."

At their headmaster's words, both Draco and Hermione dropped their heads and turned bright red.

"Oh, this is gonna be good," Tonks grinned.

"Quiet, Nymphadora," Moody said, the sides of his mouth turning up a little. She glared at him for the use of her first name, but was quiet…

"I umm…well, IwilledhimtoacceptmyrelationshipwithHermione…" Draco answered.

"Didn't catch that last bit, cousin," Tonks grinned.

"I willed him to accept my relationship with Hermione," Draco said clearly. Both he and Hermione were now the same shade of red as Ron's hair…

"Well," Dumbledore smiled brightly, "I see why the spells dueled each other so strongly."

"Studying in the library, eh?" Harry teased, "Knew Draco couldn't be that studious…"

Both Hermione and Draco slugged Harry in the arm amidst roars of laughter from the Order. Old habits die hard…

**Fin**

_**I don't know what's worth fighting for,**_

_**Or why I have to scream.**_

_**But now I have some clarity**_

_**To show you what I mean.**_

_**I don't know how I got this way,**_

_**I know it's not all right;**_

_**So I'm breaking the habit**_

_**I'm breaking the habit**_

_**I'm breaking the habit tonight…**_

_**-Breaking the Habit by Linkin Park**_


End file.
